abstraction
n. C / U C1 Advanced US //æbˈstɹækʃən// UK //ɐbstɹˈækʃən// ab·strac·tion
n. an idea or quality that is not a physical thing. You use this word when talking about concepts like love, justice, or time instead of objects you can touch.
n. the quality of dealing with ideas rather than events; a concept that is not physical or concrete. Often used in academic or technical contexts to describe theoretical frameworks.
Love is an abstraction, not a physical object.
The professor explained that democracy is a complex abstraction.
Modern art often relies on abstraction to convey emotion without realistic detail.
From Middle English abstraccyone; either from Middle French abstraction or from Medieval Latin abstrāctiō (“separation”), from Latin abstrahō (“draw away”). Equivalent to abstract + -ion.